AFL draft a golden opportunity to restock

Next year's much-anticipated talent pool is worthy of its 'super draft' tag, but Friday night's draft meeting offers some AFL clubs a golden opportunity to restock their squads.

Fremantle, who have the most selections with nine, have invested heavily in this year's draft, with Greater Western Sydney, West Coast and Port Adelaide also to have a strong presence at the national selection meeting in Sydney with seven picks each.

Some of those picks will be used to upgrade rookies, but AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan is confident those clubs won't regret having a big crack at the talent on offer this year.

"I think this year's talent pool has great depth," Sheehan told AAP.

"Some people say that it hasn't but I've profiled about 130 players and I could add another 20 who look to have enough attributes to end up on an AFL list.

"It's certainly a midfield group early on - most of them will be ready to go in round one - but there are also some key-position players in the top 20.

"Some clubs are seeing this as a big year to restock."

Essendon and the Western Bulldogs have the fewest draft picks with three apiece.

The Dockers (No.2 and 5), St Kilda (7 and 8) and Carlton (3 and 10) are also in the enviable position of having two calls inside the top 10.

"It's a massive draft for those football clubs for them to really make those selections count," Sheehan said.

Western Jets midfielder Cameron Rayner is the hot tip to be taken at No.1 on Friday by Brisbane, with fellow Victorian onballers Luke Davies-Uniacke, Paddy Dow and Andrew Brayshaw also a chance to be this year's top pick.

Next year's talent pool has been touted has been compared favourably to the fabled 2001 super draft headed by top-three picks Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Chris Judd.

Sheehan has seen enough to agree such comparisons are warranted.

"We're pretty excited by it ... in the top 10 or 12 you'll find a player from each state and territory which is rare," he said.

"We're really optimistic it could be a second super draft. The way those boys performed as 17-year-olds this year is very exciting."